Copper & Copper Alloys

Copper  is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from Latin: cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal andelectrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; a freshly exposed surface has a reddish-orange color. It is used as a conductor of heat and electricity, a building material, and a constituent of various metal alloys.

The metal and its alloys have been used for thousands of years. In the Roman era, copper was principally mined on Cyprus, hence the origin of the name of the metal as сyprium (metal of Cyprus), later shortened to сuprum. Its compounds are commonly encountered as copper(II) salts, which often impart blue or green colors to minerals such as turquoise and have been widely used historically as pigments. Architectural structures built with copper corrode to give green verdigris (or patina).Decorative art prominently features copper, both by itself and as part of pigments.

The areas of application for copper are varied: Due to its good electrical conductivity, copper is predestined for applications in electrical engineering, electronics and telecommunications. The increasing computerisation of our office-world, the rising demands on telecommunications at home, but also the high safety and comfort standards in car designs today ensure that copper demand is constantly on the increase. Nowadays, some 25 kg of copper are used on average in each car – in luxury models it can be more than double. Without copper our modern life would not be possible.